Axle-box lid.



No. 804,873. l PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

l A. M. MOCREA.

` AXLE B0X; LID. APPLIUATIUN FILED 00T. ze, 1904.

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES ARCHIBALD M. MCOREA, UNION SPRING AND PATENT OFFICE.

OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFPITTSBURG,

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21,' 1905.

i Application filed `October 26, 1904-.. Serial No. 230,097.

. To all whom, if may con/cern.;

Be itknown that I, ARCHIBALD M. MCOREA, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania', have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Axle- Box Lids; and VI do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to lids for axle and similar boxes, and has for itsobject to provide a lid which is imperforate, so as to exclude dust anddirt and prevent the oil from escaping, and which isI so constructedthat the spring for holding1 the lid shut can be readily inserted andremoved therefrom.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of acar-axle box provided with my improved lid. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough the same. Fig. 3 is an inside perspective view of the lid, andFig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring.

The axle-box is shown at l, and this is or may be of the usual or anydesired form. It is provided with the usual lug 2 for receiving thehinge bolt or pintle 3 of the lid. This lug has its forward face 4 soformed as to provide a cam or shoulder against which the upper end ofthe spring bears, thereby to hold the axle-box lid closed, as is now thepractice, and will be understood without further description.

The lid is shown at 5, and this also may be of the usual or anypreferred form. Preferably it will be made by stamping or pressing ametal plate to form, although my invention is not limited in thisparticular, but applies also to a cast lid. This lid is provided at itsupper end with the hinge-eyes 6 for receiving the hinge-bolts 3 and isalso provided at the upper edge with the outward bulge or hooded portion7 to provide a space for the spring. Below this central hooded portionthe lid is provided with the outwardly-bulging socket or recess 8 toprovide a seat for the lower end of the spring. On the inner face of thelid and lying across the socket or recess 8 is a suitable bridge-piece9, which is formed as a stirrup or staple, having its ends insertedthrough openings in the lid. and riveted or upset therein, as indicatedat 10.

The spring 11 is an ordinary iiat leaf-spring and is located in the hood7 with its upper end bearing against the cam or shoulder 4 of theaxle-box. The lower end of this spring projects down into the socket orrecess 8 and is held between the stirrup 9 and the outer wall'of saidsocket. l To prevent the spring from rising or falling, it is providedwith suitable projections, one of which is arranged to bear against theunder side of the stirrup and the other to bear against the upper sidethereof, the former preventing the spring from jumping up or rising andthe latter preventing the spring from falling down. These projectionsmay be of various forms, being either bosses or lugs attached to orformed on the spring in any suitable way. Preferably, however, they willbe formed by suitably bending the spring. Accordingly, the lower end ofthe spring is bent into the form of a hook il, which will lie underneaththe stirrup 9 and prevent the spring from rising. JuSt above the stirrupthe body of the spring is also bent inwardly to form the projection 12,which will lie just above the stirrup and prevent the spring fromdropping. By these simple means the spring is held eectually in placeand cannot get out of place by the jarring of the car-truck. Theprojections ll and 12 fit the stirrup accurately, so that the spring canneither rise nor drop, even for a short distance, nor can it swingsidewise out of perpendicular position. As a consequence theeffectiveness of the spring is uniform at all times. At the same timewhen the lid is removed from the box the spring can be very readilyremoved, so as to facilitate the replacement of broken or lame springs.

The lid itself is imperforate, so as to effectually exclude dust anddirt from the axlebox and also prevent the escape of oil contained inthe axle-box. The lid can be shaped at a single operation by suitablepressing-dies, and the spring can be likewise so shaped prior totempering, so that the cost of manufacture is small.

'I wish it understood that the exact form of spring and stirrup shownneed not be employed, but that any suitable bridge-piece extendingacross the socket will answer my purpose, and also that the projectingportions l1a and 12 on the spring need not be integral with the spring,but may be suitable lugs secured to the spring, or, if desired, they maybe merely teats or tongues punched out from the metal of the spring.

IOO

IOS

What I claim is- 1. The combination of an imperforate axlebox lid havinghinge-eyes at its upper end, a stirrup or staple on the inner face ofthe lid, and a iiat leaf-spring having its end inserted and held betweenthe stirrup and lid, the inner face of the lid opposite the lower end ofthe spring being substantially straight vertically and the spring havingprojecting portions on its inner face adapted the one to bear on the topof the stirrup and the other against the bottom of the stirrup, wherebysaid spring is held by said projections both from falling and rising. v

2. The combination of an imperforate axlebox lid having hinge-eyes atits upper end, a stirrup or staple on the inner face of the lid, and aiiat leaf-spring having its end inserted and held between the stirrupand the lid, the innerface of the lid opposite' the lower end of thespring being substantially straight vertically and said spring havingits lower end bent inwardly and adapted to lie below the stirrup andhaving an inwardly-projecting portion above said lower end adapted tobear against the upper side of said stirrup, whereby said spring is heldby said inwardlyprojecting portions both from falling and rising.

3. The combination of an imperforate axlebox lid having hinge-eyes atits upper end and a socket or recess below said upper end, said socketor recess having its inner face substantially straight vertically, abridge-piece extending across said socket on the inner face of the lid,and a Hat leaf-spring having its end inserted and held between thesocket-wall and bridge-piece and having two inwardlyprojectingportions,` one arranged to lie underneath the bridge-piece and the otherto lie above the same, whereby said spring is held by said projectionsboth from falling and rislng.

4. The combination of an imperforate axlebox lid having hinge-eyes atits upper end and a socket or recess below said upper end, said socketor recess having its inner face substantially straight vertically,abridge-piece extending across said socket on the inner face of the lid,and a iiat leaf-spring having its end inserted and held between thesocket-wall and said bridge-piece and having its lower end bent inwardlyand adapted to lie below the bridge-piece, and an inwardly-projecting`portion above its lower end adapted to lie above said bridge-piece.

5. The combination of an imperforate axlebox lid having hinge-eyes atits upper end and a socket or recessl below said upper end, said sockethaving its inner face substantially straight vertically, a stirrupbridged across said socket on the inner face of the lid, and a fiatleaf-spring having its end inserted and held between the socket-wall andbridge-piece and having a hooked lower end adapted to lie underneath thestirrup and an inwardlybent portion above its lower end adapted to lieabove said stirrup.

In testimony whereof I, the said ARCHIBALD M. MCCREA, have hereunto setmy hand.

ARCHIBALD M. MCCREA. Witnesses:

ROBERT C. To'rTEN, G. C. RAYMOND.

